Hearts and Minds Contest

We received a stupendous number of stupendously awesome sparks this time around, and the selection process is difficult. Here’s how it generally works: The community votes on all the sparks, and the top 7 are accepted. The pros are obvious, right? It’s a community event, so the community’s involvement is inherently valued. To ensure that the event isn’t powered by a popularity contest and people not yet well-established in this brilliant circle of Denver also get a chance to speak, the other 7 sparks are chosen by the organizers.

There are SO many great talks that were submitted, however, that we’re giving the community one more chance to be heard. If your favorite speaker or spark wasn’t selected, you can let us know why that speaker needs to be on stage presenting that spark. You can share an anecdote about the speaker’s charm (if you know them) or talk about the importance of the subject itself (if you read the spark). The recommendation that most strongly sways our hearts and/or minds gets a prize. Spark submitters can even pitch their own spark!

How to Play

Make your voice heard in the comments below, on Twitter (with hashtag #IgniteDenver), or on our Facebook wall with your recommendation and why. Winners will be chosen subjectively and are totally not allow to argue with the organizers about the final decision. 😉 Contest closes around noon on Sunday, October 7.

Prizes

The winner’s suggested talk will be chosen to present at Ignite Denver 12. Furthermore, the winner will receive some kind of bonus prize. This bonus prize, which is far less important than the main prize of positively swaying hearts and minds and contributing to the community’s collective gain, will be of some monetary value and will appeal to the winner of said bonus prize.